Mersang: Maybe she is, maybe she isn't… I'm not giving anything away.
Birdie num num: As I said to Mersang, I'm giving nothing away. You'll have to wait to find out.
Tartan: Thanks for your review.
Dormouse: You can't review for the same chapter more than once; certainly not if it's a signed review, although I'm not all that sure about anonymous ones.
Elwing: I know, I used to be able to review more than once anonymously, but I think must have changed that.
FlameOfIllumination: Thanks for your review and advice, but I like to write about Illim etc. so I'm planning to keep some of the plot elements you commented on.
Silversquee: Thanks for your review.
Baras got his examination results back a week later. He had passed on all but one thing; strategy. Unfortunately, in Prince training you have to pass every section to pass overall.
Baras was disappointed for days on end. I tried to comfort him.
(You can take it again, son. It's no big deal.)
(Yes it is. Hedran passed his.)
(Who's…)
(That's who Ferala's courting.)
I then heard human voices, carrying on the wind towards the scoop.
"It's this way, isn't it?"
"Think so. I don't really remember, Alloran was galloping so fast it was all just a blur when I last came here." Illim's voice.
I projected my thought speech to reach them. (If it is my scoop that you are looking for, I believe you are travelling in the correct direction.)
"Damn! He's heard us. That's the element of surprise gone." Marco.
(What?) Baras asked.
(Human humour. It's inexplicable.)
(Ah.)
(I think it is necessary to explain that Marco was attempting to be humorous and has no intention of surprising you,) Aximili explained.
(Yes, I do know that, thank you.)
They came into sight. Marco, Illim, Aximili, a few humans and another Yeerk, Innis.
(Greetings, War- Prince Alloran.)
Marco raised both hands. "Greetings, Andalite. We are the Earthlings. We come in peace."
(I know that!)
(Marco is again attempting to be humorous.)
"Attempting? Excuse me?"
"Marco, face it, you're just not funny," Innis grated. He turned to Illim. "How'd you put up with him last time?"
"With great difficulty," Illim sighed wearily. "Whatever you do, it encourages him. I actually wished I was in my Yeerk body, so I couldn't hear him. How he managed to win the war, I'll never know."
"With a lot of help from the peace movement, the Chee, the free Hork- Bajir and the other Animorphs?" Innis suggested.
They came into the scoop, and Aximili noticed Baras stood in a corner looking miserable.
(What has upset him?) Aximili asked me privately.
(He failed his prince training. Only just, though. He'll be alright. I think it was just the shock. Plus there's this female.. oh, never mind. He'll tell you if he wants.)
(Please tell me, War- Prince Alloran.)
(It's just Alloran!) I exclaimed. (Ask Baras. I don't want to tell you something eh might not want you to know.)
Aximili went over to Baras and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. (What is wrong?)
Baras turned a stalk eye to look at him. (Everything, Prince Aximili, sir.)
(When you are not on military duty, it will suffice to simply call me Aximili. Now please tell me what has put you in such a bad mood.)
(I just failed my Prince training. I feel rubbish.)
(He only failed the strategy section! And that only by what, five marks?) I exclaimed.
(FIFTEEN, father. I got fifteen marks wrong.)
(Yes, but if you'd got only ten wrong you'd have passed, correct?)
(Yeah, but…)
(So, you failed by five marks.)
(Oh. Yes.)
(Why is this such a problem?) Prince Aximili asked. (You can re- sit the examination, and it should be easy to get five extra marks second time round.)
(Yeah, but by that time, Ferala will have married,) Baras said.
"Oh, it's about a girl!" Marco nodded knowingly. "Girls are idiots. See, when I was in high school, none of them were smart enough to realise my potential for becoming a celebrity and superhero with lots of money. And they never understood my witty jokes, never noticed my amazing cuteness…"
"You missed out 'nonexistent' before 'cuteness', Marco," said Elsa.
"Hey, you're witty. I like witty." Marco winked at Elsa.
"No chance, Marco, so don't even bother."
"Come on, you like me really," Marco coaxed. "You think I'm really funny and cute, you just don't want to admit it."
"Oh yeah, and Visser One's won the Nobel Peace Prize," Elsa said in the tone which indicated human sarcasm.
Baras looked at me in bemusement. (Ignore them,) I instructed.
The next day, I was due to re- start work. I had been given a year- and- a half's leave to recuperate from my infestation. It wasn't nearly long enough; in fact I don't think I will ever truly recover. Nevertheless, I was given a post teaching at the Academy.
The Academy was no longer teaching its students to be real warriors, but rather peace time guards and escorts, or pilots to take tourists to Earth and other planets. However, the Academy remained the best facility for teaching all these things, so many people were still being trained there.
I tried to tell Lirem that I couldn't teach; but he would have none of it. I wanted to choose my own occupation; but I was still in the military and besides, one does not argue with Lirem- Arrepoth- Terrous.
I went to the Academy. I was to train as a teacher under the watchful eye of my old trainer, Captain- Prince Rennan- Waltes- Esgarrouth. Captain- Prince is the highest military rank save the war council. It is two ranks up from War- Prince. He was a very old Andalite. I had come to him on my first day at the Academy. He had only been teaching for several months then; but that was way back before the war with the Yeerks. He was to retire next year, and I was to be his substitute.
I arrived at an hour beyond sunrise. The spaceport was already quite busy, although the universities lay silent.
I went to find Captain- Prince Rennan.
(War- Prince Alloran,) he greeted. (You're early, unlike you were on your first day at the Academy.)
I cringed. I had been twenty minutes late because I had been celebrating with my friends the night before. My friends and myself ended up doing triple that time cleaning at the end of the day.
Rennan was not very arrogant, unlike most Andalites of his rank; but he was not an Andalite to be messed with. He was very strict and was held in awe by all the arisths training under him. However, he was very fair and seemed to understand nervous youngsters; or rebellious ones like I had been.
I stood at attention. (Captain- Prince Rennan- Waltes- Esgarrouth, War- prince Alloran- Semitur- Corrass reporting for duty.)
The old Andalite laughed; a warm, reassuring sound. (No need to be that formal. I can see you're here, that'll do me. Come now, you can have a bit of coaching on how to teach.)
I trotted along beside him to his teaching room. It was about three acres of sheltered grassland, with trees, a lake and a river. There was a small, dull storeroom containing training shredders, an Escafil device and other equipment. It had a hand panel which would only open for Rennan's handprint. However, he didn't go in.
(We have a class of arisths on their first day here this morning. I then have some more experienced arisths who are going to be practicing some more advanced tail- fighting techniques in the afternoon. You will observe both lessons, and ask me any questions at lunchtime or at the end of the day. You will have an hour's coaching in the evening. Is that clear?)
(Yes, Captain- Prince Rennan.)
My first day was fairly uneventful, aside from the odd looks I got from most other Andalites there. Weary and aching, I travelled home.
I returned to the scoop to find Jahar there, alone. She did not look happy. She was stood in the corner of the scoop, all four eyes cast away from me.
(Jahar?) I asked gently.
She span around to face me, looking startled and afraid.
(What is wrong?)
(I…. It's nothing.)
(It is. Please, talk to me.)
(Alloran, I.. have I done well with our children? Have I raised them how you'd have wanted?)
She sounded so anxious, and it broke my hearts.
(You have done brilliantly. Why? What makes you think you have done otherwise?)
(It's just that Baras was so disrespectful to you when you first got back…)
(He did, but he's much better now. I don't understand why you're asking me all this.)
(I'm sorry.)
Jahar did not speak anymore, and I did not ask her to. Clearly she was not going to explain what was the matter, not then anyway.
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